Conflict Resolution at the Microlevel

Although much attention is paid to the high profile political initiatives aimed at tackling the seemingly intractable problems of Northern Ireland, little has been written about the United Kingdom government's strategy to achieve equality of opportunity and equity of treatment across the two communities at grassroots level. This article selects one initiative—the community relations programme in local authorities—as part of a broader thrust by government to improve equality and equity, and assesses its impact. The research uses comparative survey data gathered in 1989 and 1993 to detect whether attitudes on fair employment, prejudice, and tolerance between Catholics and Protestants have changed in councils participating in the initiative. Despite the programme's modest resources, some real achievements are detected during its 4-year period of operation.